Course Testmonials

As a complete novice, I recently took 2 days bespoke shooting course with Mark and I absolutely loved every second of it! Mark is very experienced and passionate about his work, yet he is very humble and does not need the spotlights. His knowledge, work ethos and patience are outstanding. I felt very safe and well looked after and will recommend him and his business to everyone,who's looking to give it a go!

Very good, informative and enjoyable day. The course delivered everything expected taking a relatively inexperienced gun user through all safety exercises required followed by live firing with a range of weapons. I left the course feeling comfortable that I am able to operate the weapons safely with a degree of competence and comfort Nobby delivered the course really well emphasising the safety elements throughout- and made it fun to boot. Cheers Nobby!!

I thought that after a brief introduction to the weapons we would go and shoot, but that wasn't the case. we learned every part of the weapon, every function and how important safety was. and only after the teacher understood that we knew the basic rules did he feel confident in sending us to shoot. The teacher is extremely competent, I was constantly asking questions and he always answered very thoroughly and with clear examples and scenarios. he never had any problems explaining things multiple times and demonstrating multiple times. I was happy with the experiences and I'm sure I will take other courses to deepen what I learned.

The course was excellent. The instructor was very professional, friendly and welcoming. The course was delivered in a way that prioritised safety, understanding of the weapons and procedures, while also being interesting and enjoyable. I would highly recommend it. Thank you.

Nobby was very professional and kept us very engaged with his life story. Would definitely recommend especially if you have no firearms experience at all like I was prior to the course.

I cannot recommend Shooting Training Solutions enough. I had a fantastic day learning about Nobby's experience in the Royal Marines and what it takes to do such a difficult and demanding job. Nobby is a highly skilled instructor and made me feel safe the entirety of the day, he was very straight forward and to the point, which is just what you need when handling firearms, helping me to understand the mechanisms of the weapons and how best to operate them safely. As someone who had zero firearms handling experience beforehand I can say I learnt a lot and I am very grateful for such an enriching day and hope to come back some day in the future to gain more experience.

The course was great, it gave me an insight into weapon handling and safety that was definitely helpful. I know I’ll go away with being comfortable holding and dealing with weapons in a safe manner which is crucial. Mark was incredibly kind and made me welcome, his backstory is incredible and was extremely interesting to hear. He is probably the most knowledgeable you can be in this field so you know everything he’s telling you to do he would’ve done himself. If or when I want or need more training I’d definitely come back here.

What an amazing day. I have lived near Sherborne most of my adult life and never realised this was in our doorstep. Today I attended the course with my 14 year old son. The day was very well structured learning gun safety and basics of shooting firearms before going onto the firing range. Nobby was professional, very friendly and made us feel welcome. The insight into his career was very Inteteresting. We are both really looking forward to the second day of training. The only frustrating part is having to wait untill March for our next day. However we fully appreciate why the course is so busy after attending. Thankyou for a great day. Jayden & James

I had a fantastic 2 days training at shooting training solutions, an excellent firearm course with the a legend "Mark " who really understands and has the experience of what he's teaching . Brilliant course ,instructor and facilities! Thanks Mark 👍

My wife and I embarked on a two-day bespoke firearms course as complete novices, driven by a longstanding interest in mastering the safe and responsible use of firearms. Our experience with Mark as our instructor was nothing short of exceptional. With decades of military expertise and a proven track record in training civilians, Mark is undoubtedly one of the finest instructors in the field. What truly sets this training program apart is its unwavering commitment to promoting responsible gun ownership and usage. Mark's dedication to instilling these principles in his students left us with a profound understanding of how to handle firearms safely and responsibly. Learning this skill is not something that happens overnight; it requires time and practice to master. Mark skillfully imparts as much knowledge as you can absorb during those two days, making the most of your learning experience. His emphasis on continuous practice and ongoing education to maintain safe and effective firearm use was a valuable lesson we took away from the course. In light of the invaluable insights we gained, my wife and I are eagerly looking forward to our next course with Mark. This experience has not only equipped us with the essential skills for responsible firearm use but has also sparked our enthusiasm to further our learning in this important field.

Mark / Nobby is a distinguished professional instructor. He was able to quickly understand my goals and existing abilities and design a bespoke course that enabled rapid learning, skill development and confidence. He is extremely thorough and meticulous in his course delivery and organization. I look forward to continuing my learnings with him.

Spent two days with Mark (Nobby) training on several weapon systems in November 2023. Mark was both professional and patient in his training, giving me a good overview of how such weapon systems are used in practice. As a developing author the experience is invaluable to my writing. Many thanks Nobby maybe see you again next year. DM

My son and I had a fantastic day learning how to safely handle various weapon systems including the AK74, M4 and Heckler and Koch G3 rifles, in the morning, before putting into practice what we had learnt on the range in the afternoon. The pace and delivery of the instruction was just right for a father and son duo . We enjoyed listening to Mark recount some fascinating, exciting and moving stories from his over 30 year career in the Royal Marines and the SBS. He explains things "as they are" without glamorising or diminishing the impact of conflict whilst also impressing on his students the importance of firearms safety and the reasons for acquiring a baseline in firearms competence; a world away from action movies or XBOX "Call of Duty". Marks calm coaching style helped my son visibly grow in confidence as the day progressed and by the end he was able to apply the marksmanship principals effectively and handle a variety of weapons safety and proficiently on the range. He achievied groupings from the prone position and shots on target from the standing position. An excellent introduction to firearms and shooting; not many 13 year olds can say their first instruction in firearms came from a former UKSF cheif instructor !

Want to do something worthwhile ? Attend this course and test your skill set. Its clear, concise, informative and very enjoyable. Go in with the intent to learn and finish with a sense of achievement. The instructors intro video could be called condensed but gives you the knowledge of his immense wealth of experience. You are in good hands, to guide and correct for those faltering moments. So all in all , go spend some of your hard earned cash. Get some purpose and excellent training.

Mark was extremely knowledgeable and helped you understand the reasons behind what we were doing while patiently teaching at your pace. Lots learned while having a great time! I would highly recommend training with Mark

I have really enjoyed the course I have developed new skills and progressed really well thanks to the instructors patience and consideration to my way of learning. Fantastic!

Thank you Mark for a thoroughly enjoyable and informative few days! As a civilian I've always had an interest in firearms and I was looking for thorough training from the best I could find. I certainly wasn't disappointed! There was so much to learn and understand. When I struggled to understand a concept you were patient and found new ways to explain things to me. I am so glad I chose to come to Shooting Training Solutions, your teaching was detailed and you wouldn't compromise on safety or allow shortcuts before advancing the training, thoroughly professional. I will absolutely be back for more in future and would highly recommend you and your courses to anyone at any level of firearms experience. I consider myself extremely lucky to have got my training from you, thanks again! Matt

Good morning, Just a quick message to say thank you for the in depth and intense training over the weekend 19/20 August '23 in relation to Firearms Competency. As always the training was of the highest quality and the tuition was always very pertinent for practical application in weapon familiarisation and weapon firing. Your explanation of the weapon's inner workings really gave me confidence and knowledge in why all the necessary drills are in place. I feel a great sense of achievement in attaining Competency in both the Kalashnikov and M16/M4 weapon systems. Your courses cannot be recommended highly enough for both beginners and experienced operators! Many thanks and I look forward to the next round of training!

A really enjoyable day thanks to Mark. Great to hear about all of his experiences and made us feel like we were in safe hands on the range as he really knows his stuff. Would recommend to anyone with any level of firearms experience.

Was a very enjoyable day and had a lot of fun. Mark was a great instructor and teacher and it was really interesting to hear about his experiences in the special forces. Would highly recommend to others.

I was extremely delighted with my experience at STS. Hearing about Mark's experience in the military was very interesting and helped to demonstrate his intricate knowledge of weapons and weapon safety, which was very reassuring. The shooting was also very enjoyable, as we got to go at a suitable pace and Mark was always patient with us and helping to improve our confidence using the weapons.

The course was fantastic. The starting talk, while long, was really interesting and gave an insight into the real-world side of the special forces, and got you in the right mindset. Moving onto the actual training itself, learning the procedures before moving onto live firing gave insight into the actual handling and meant there were fewer mistakes later on, not to mention every time myself or someone else made a minor handling error we'd be immediately corrected, which made the course feel robustly safe. I only have good things to say about the experience, it perfectly blended safety, professionalism, learning, and the coolness of firing a weapon. Overall, I feel a lot more knowledgeable and confident in handling firearms both on and off the range, but I also know just how important following proper procedure is.

No complaints or issues at all. Very thorough and in depth first look at shooting. Definitely appreciated the life stories and the training in gun control. I doubt I'd have as serious or detailed of an explanation and first training session in the US as I did here. Went in knowing very little and came out with more understanding and respect of the process, guns and safety. I thought it was very good that we had guidance throughout the entire shooting session and that we weren't entirely doing the difficult parts by ourselves. There was definitely a lot to remember so the guidance throughout was very much appreciated. Thanks very much!

Thanks Mark for the firearms course. It was really interesting hearing your story and I took something away from every aspect of the day. I particularly enjoyed taking apart / reassembling the weapons as I feel it was a bit of a lightbulb moment in understanding their operation.

Mark “Nobby” Knowles might be one of the most interesting people I have ever met; the wealth of experience and knowledge he has is truly incredible, and shines through on this course. Throughout the day, in spite of doing a very dangerous activity I felt I developed enough skill over the course of the day to operate safely whilst under his guidance. All in all, a great experience, both mentally and physically